Mr Speaker, the MF strongly supports the investigation into the mismanagement. The SABC indeed requires restructuring: it must be modernised, it must have a good approach, it must be apolitical, it must be autonomous and independent, and the selection of the board must be done by an impartial committee.
The MF strongly believes that no politician should have the final say in determining the board. Let us have an arrangement in which the board is completely impartial, autonomous and independent. We cannot allow a board that is dysfunctional to continue a disservice to the people. The MF supports the dissolution of the board and the appointment of an interim board.
Let us allow a process of healing, so that an effective and efficient management can be put in place. [Applause.]
Mr Speaker, the DA didn't want to go down the route of dissolving the SABC board, because we felt that this would do nothing to resolve the crisis at the public broadcaster. Rather, it would simply satisfy the blood lust of the new ANC ruling elite, which is determined to put its stamp on an institution that is supposed to be independent.
Had we had it our way, each of the board members who has resigned would have served out his or her respective three-month notice periods; the President would have appointed a chairperson and a deputy chair from within their ranks to restore the quorum; and we, in the National Assembly, would have gone about the business of interviewing and short-listing candidates to fill the existing vacancies as per our mandate. But this was not to be.
The ANC in the previous committee didn't rush through the Broadcast Amendment Act in March this year in order to then sit on it. They had one objective, and one objective only: dissolve the board or fire its members, and then make way for the installation of a more palatable board; one which is sympathetic and perhaps more willing to dance to the tune of the new masters of Luthuli House. [Applause.]
The DA, together with Cope, expressed throughout this entire process its concerns about the extent to which this constituted due process, as envisioned by the clause in the amending Act.
Board members who had less than 24 hours' notice were summoned to Parliament to give evidence in an inquiry whose purpose was to establish whether or not they could do their work, but which instead had all the hallmarks of a kangaroo court.
As with the previous parliamentary committee, a scheduled report-back by executive board members on the state of the broadcaster's financials, in a time of crisis, was pushed back in order to accommodate a vicious assault by ANC MPs on the board. Why bother engaging in oversight over the public broadcaster in this crisis when there are political purges to be engaged in?
No wonder board members, who, we mustn't forget, are distinguished members of society and hold professional posts elsewhere, had had enough. Who can blame them after having been harassed by Parliament for their entire 18 months in office, after facing insurrection from the executive management that they were responsible for guiding, and after probably enduring extraordinary pressure to resign? Who can blame them for giving up?
With only one member left on the entire board, the DA has little choice but to assent to this dissolution since we will need to constitute the board either way.
Yesterday this committee was presented with SABC financial statements, which painted such a bleak picture of this organisation, an organisation which is deeply in chaos. It became very glaringly obvious that the problems that the broadcaster is facing cannot be attributed to the board. This is the fig leaf which the ANC has used to justify this entire process. But, in fact, they go to massive procurement and spending irregularities at executive management level.
In addition, we were presented with testimony from the remaining board members which alleged that political interference, endemic corruption in the management of the SABC and general mistrust between the board and the executive are what contributed to the rot at the public broadcaster.
We therefore endorse the recommendation by the committee that the Auditor- General's Office must conduct a full investigation into the functioning of the SABC to identify the weaknesses at the broadcaster and resolve the allegations that have been made.
The DA will participate fully in the process of appointing an interim board when we leave the House today. We will do so with a view to ensuring that it comprises members with the necessary industry and financial expertise to guide the broadcaster out of its present woes and, crucially, to champion the independence of the SABC, instead of kowtowing to the ruling ANC elite. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
I'm waiting for absolute silence in the House. [Interjections.]
Mr Speaker, Deputy President of the Republic, executive members and Members of Parliament and our guests, around August 2008 I was called for an interview at the SABC. The question that was asked was: What was our intention as a committee of making amendments to the Broadcasting Act?
I responded honestly to that question. I said that Parliament did not make laws only for them not to bite. We are not going to hesitate after the amendments have been passed into law. If the board falters, we will act. We are not going to hesitate. [Interjections.] [Applause.]
I indicated that we could not bury our heads in the sand and pretend that all was well at Auckland Park. We should act, and indeed we should have acted earlier.
What I fail to understand, on the part of other quarters here in the House, is the notion that seeks to blame other organisations in the public when they voice their opinions or their views about the SABC - the board that is appointed by this Parliament, public representatives of the people of the Republic. One of the mandates which they must carry out is to ensure that they run this board efficiently in the interests of the public.
Indeed, our constituencies, which have put us in Parliament, have the right to raise issues when they see that the board cannot perform as is expected. [Interjections.] That will not preclude the SA Communist Party from echoing its views ... that does not exclude the Young Communist League from echoing its views, or any organisation in the public space. [Interjections.]
Let me deal with the issues. Mr Ashwin Trikamjee, one of the esteemed members of the board, in his apology for not attending the inquiry on 23 June 2009, attached a memoir that says, amongst other things:
The suspension and subsequent dismissal of the CEO added pressure as it resulted in a stand-off with management. This was followed by the resignations of Mr Vundla, Ms Qunta and Ms Lagardien. These significant instances led to the board having problems with a quorum. The present situation is that nine board members have resigned.
Effectively the board does not make a quorum.
Resigned members still have a fiduciary duty to serve on the board, but the fact of the matter is that they were no longer attending the meetings of the board, and that rendered the board nonfunctional. That is what he said.
Let us deal with facts. Mr Bheki Khumalo, in his letter to the chairperson and other board members on the resignation of some of the board members, said:
The resignation of board members has to do undoubtedly with their lack of confidence in the leadership of the chairperson.
Christine was on Radio 2000 news last week ... attacking the poor leadership of the chairperson of the board and citing it as the reason that prompted her to resign ...
Not Polokwane; not interference from the ANC. [Interjections.]
He continued to say:
In effect, therefore, out of the 11 other nonexecutive board members, four persons ...
There is a point of order. Take your seat, hon member.
Speaker, the point of order is that this hon member promised at the start that he would not speak, unless there was silence. There is no silence, so why is he speaking? [Laughter.]
Continue, hon member.
... Christine Qunta, Vundla, Lagardien and myself, Bheki Khumalo, have all independently expressed a lack of confidence in the leadership of the chairperson.
Not the ANC; not Polokwane.
Towards the conclusion of his letter he said that this part of the crisis was the result of the deliberate effort of the board of focusing on removing the group CEO rather than on what they were supposed to do. This is one of the board members raising those issues, not the ANC, not Polokwane, no one else. This is the board members themselves raising this particular matter. [Interjections.]
When we heard the inquiry we were honest, as people had made their submissions to the committee in terms of allegations against the executive managers of the SABC. Cope was there - in the committee. They didn't raise any issue of T-shirts in the committee where they were required to raise issues against the executive.
Now, I think I know why the matter is surfacing today. The matter is surfacing only because they don't have other issues to make headlines of. Shame! [Interjections.] [Applause.] This is the only matter with which they can capture headlines. So, I hope that the media will pick that up - that they will be brought into the mainstream media - because lately they have fallen off the media bandwagon. [Interjections.]
We should all agree that it's now or never.
There is a point of order. Take your seat, hon member.
Speaker, I actually wanted to ask the member if he would take a question.
Will you take a question?
If I have time at the end, Mr Speaker. For now, can I proceed?
The hon member won't take the question. Continue, hon member.
We should all agree that it's now or never. It is now the time to act and to act decisively in serving the interests of the millions of citizens of this country. However, whatever action we take, we should remember not to embarrass or humiliate any person that served on the SABC board or as an executive manager.
The chairperson of the portfolio committee has indicated that we are referring all allegations to the Auditor-General for further investigation. Could we be patient enough to allow that process to unfold, so that as we engage on issues, we engage on the basis of facts, not assumptions?
You see, part of the problem at the SABC is collective responsibility. There is a song that goes: "Two hearts beat as one. When men have been in battle together they are bonded like the flower and the soil and the sun, and like the moon catches the light."
So, we can't apportion blame to one party. [Interjections.] I was glad when the DA said that we were angels as the ANC. We appreciate that. An issue we need to have responded to - maybe the hon member Shilowa can respond - is whether a senior executive manager of the SABC took four months' leave to do Cope work during the elections. [Interjections.] [Applause.] We'd be glad if that could be responded to at some particular time.
There is a point of order.
Hon Speaker, in terms of the Rules I can't respond sitting here, so he may have to state it. [Interjections.]
Continue, hon member.
It was based on the issues raised above - that the committee was ...
Hon member, your time has expired. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.